Tempest
by amandatx1
Summary: {"This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine." ― William Shakespeare, The Tempest} Since Elsa's birth, there has been a presence in the Kingdom of Arendelle that not one of its subjects could sense-except for Elsa herself. As she grows, her powers grow with her, & Elsa searches for answers as to how her icy affliction came to be; & discovers them in the most unlikely of places.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own _Frozen_, _Rise of The Guardians_, or any characters affiliated with the motion picture. I am not affiliated with Walt Disney Pictures or Dreamworks Animation.

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"_This thing of darkness I__  
__Acknowledge mine." __  
_― William Shakespeare, _The Tempest_

There was a haunting silence that lingered throughout the palace; only the faint sound of the winter storm outside gently rattling the windowpanes could be heard, accompanied by the occasional echo of frantic footsteps in the halls. This silence was not unusual, not when a child was being born. Silence all around, except in the room being occupied by the midwives and the mother-to-be. Everyone with wringing hands and bated breath, anticipating the news of the child's gender, or worriedly awaiting the fate of mother and child. It was unfortunately common that neither the mother nor child made it through the strenuous task of childbirth: all anyone could do was pray, hope, and wait.

The King of Arendelle waited outside the bedchamber that he and his wife shared; the room in which the Queen had chosen to give birth to their first child. He stood rigid right by the door, despite his page's suggestions that he sit and attempt to relax. Though all of the servants in the palace did their best to reassure their King that his Queen would survive the night, they all had small seeds of doubt planted in their hearts. Though the Queen was strong-willed, she was small and delicate: "not the birthing type", as per the scullery maids' whispers. Her ladies in waiting admired her greatly, but had found it difficult to watch her struggle through the demanding task of pregnancy. She had needed constant assistance these past nine months: getting out of her chair in the sitting room after reading a book, making her way down the palace steps to greet her subjects, and even standing for elongated periods of time. The Queen of Arendelle was so eager to tend to her kingdom and rule beside her husband that she often overworked herself, taking it upon herself to do tasks that were not hers to do. However, her kind heart and perseverance were not enough to reassure the palace staff that this birth would be a successful one for the queen. The air of worriment in the castle increased every second.

Shrill cries suddenly erupted from the Queen's bedchamber and rang throughout the halls. The king jumped at the sound and whirled around to face the door, willing it to open. Several servants rushed up from their quarters and peered from behind doorframes, hoping to hear news of the queen and new crown prince or princess. Time seemed to stand still as they waited outside for the midwife's announcement. But when no one immediately emerged from the room, the air grew thick with dread. As the moments continued to tick by, the king's blood seemed to run cold and his hands started to shake. The sound of the child's screams and the snowstorm outside attacking the windows fused together until all he could hear was static. He could not focus his vision or his thoughts and felt as though he could not stand to hear the news he was sure the midwife would deliver. Then, his senses came to immediate attention as the door slowly creaked open and the midwife stepped out into the hall. Her sleeves were rolled up above her elbows, soiled rags were hanging from her apron, and her graying hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat; but a smile graced her tired face. The exhausted nurse faced the king, who looked powerless as he awaited the words that would alter his entire future not only as a ruler, but also as a husband; and as a father.

"A princess," she said with a small, breathy chuckle.

"And the Queen is resting comfortably. She would like to see you now, your majesty,"

The king's face broke into an enormous smile, and a booming laugh of relief escaped him as he hurried into the room. Then, there was rejoicing. All tension and worry melted away in seconds, and so much relief filled the palace that it seemed as though the castle itself had heaved a happy sigh. Amidst all of the laughter, embraces, and joyful tears amongst the servants, no one stopped long enough to notice the odd rush of cold that swept through the room. No one noticed the thin layer of frost that covered the marble, running all the way from behind the very place where the king had been standing and into the bedchamber. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, so there was no possible way anyone could know that the king was not the only one to enter the room where infant princess lay sleeping.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this first chapter. This is merely testing the waters; more will come as soon as possible. Please review! Feedback is always appreciated.

-Amanda


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own _Rise of The Guardians_ or _Frozen_, and am not affiliated with neither DreamWorks Animation nor The Walt Disney Company. _Rise of The Guardians_, _Frozen_, and all associated characters are property of DreamWorks Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company.

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"…_Of the very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly to your service."  
__― William Shakespeare, __The Tempest_

For a child that was not even expected to live, she was the very essence of beauty. Her clearly defined features seemed almost to have been sculpted in the womb, every curve and angle so delicate and precise that one could have easily mistaken her for a china doll. Her tiny cheeks were flushed with a tinge of pink. And her eyes; now, her eyes were something to behold. Blue eyes in children are most common, to be sure, but the tiny princess had eyes so captivatingly blue they could never be described as common-rather as profound, enigmatic, and icy blue. Though courting was long in her future, these were eyes that could easily bring any man to his knees.

The baby lay sleeping in a diminutive, snowy lace bassinet that had been placed directly next to her mother and father's bed following a deft cleaning and replacement of bed linens by the chambermaids. Following her ordeal, the Queen had fallen quickly into a peaceful sleep, a soft smile on her face. Despite the late hour and the winter storm swirling around the castle, muffled sounds of celebration could be heard from outside. When the Herald had officially announced the birth of the Princess, the citizens of Arendelle began a celebration sure to last throughout the week. The taverns were teeming with people toasting to the longevity and prosperity of their future ruler, and dancing into the wee hours of the morning.

However, inside the King and Queen's bedchamber, there was silence. Not the thick, heavy silence of worry as before, but a serene peaceful silence. In this room, the feeling of love was almost permeable. As the new parents slept, the King held his wife in his arms like any other night, but with a newly committed intention of never letting go. Before, gazing down at their beautiful creation, the King was astonished that he could love something so much, so quickly. It was then that he silently pledged to do anything to protect them, whatever the cost.

Unbeknownst to its contented inhabitants, in a shadowed corner of the bedchamber, a thin trail of frost began to materialize and creep slowly up the wall. The swirls of crystals made their way upwards until they blanketed the ceiling in a thick rime. The Queen shivered, pulled the covers up over her shoulder and burrowed further into her husband's chest. If she were to open her eyes, she surely would have cried out in her confusion at this encroachment of the elements with seemingly no source.

But he was there. He had been waiting just as long as everyone else to hear news of the new princess, and had felt the same anxiety and grief as everyone at her predicted demise; had rejoiced in kind when she was safely delivered. Yet unlike the bawdy celebrations in the public alehouses, he chose to a private audience with her royal highness. No one could see him, but he was there.

Kneeling against the backdrop of his frosty calling card, Jack Frost debated with himself. He wasn't even supposed to still be here. He had just been routinely bringing winter to the countries, kingdoms, towns, and villages of the world. Yet, as he was ready to take his leave, something was telling him to stay. He sensed the tension surrounding this kingdom, and his curiosity had bested him. Other people's problems were usually of no interest to Jack; he had enough of his own. But when he snuck into the palace and overheard the gossip about the queen's strenuous delivery, he had become uncharacteristically concerned. Jack had always a place in his heart for children that he couldn't quite comprehend, along with a kind of protective and paternal tendency to watch over them. The news of the potential death of this child reached that place in his heart, and he found himself overstaying his welcome in Arendelle to await the outcome in person.

Leaving icy footprints in his path, Jack made his way over to the child's bassinet. He would only stay long enough to check on the baby before he headed off to the next kingdom. He placed his hands gingerly on the sides of the diaphanous bedding; he peered over the frills of lace so get a glimpse of the princess. He smiled and chuckled to himself a little.

"Well, look at you. I don't know what they were all so worried about," he whispered.

Suddenly, the infant's eyes fluttered open, almost as if she had heard him, although this was not possible. No one had been able to hear or see him since that night on the pond. Jack jumped back from the crib, startled. _Did_ she hear him? No, something else must have woken her. Still, he had to know for sure. Cautiously, he made his way back and peered over at her again. This time she extended an arm in his direction. Could she _see_ him as well? Jack's heart began to beat faster as he waved his hand slowly back and forth in front of her face. Her eyes were clearly following his hand as it moved. Jack's face immediately lit up, and he let out a shaky laugh.

"Hey! Hey, kid", he whispered, as if he was expecting some kind of response.

The child continued to stare up at the boy in awe.

Jack grinned sheepishly. "Of course, the first person that can see me has absolutely no clue what I'm saying."

Smiling widely now, Jack raised his hand over the infant's head and a few snow flurries fluttered down and onto the child's face. Her eyes grew wide at the sudden sensation of cold. She attempted to grab them with her tiny fingers; when the snowflakes mysteriously disappeared onto her face, her eyes darted around looking for where they had gone. She then started grab at her face in confusion, still searching for the snowflakes in the last place that she has seen them. Jack laughed at the baby's determination, and made a few more flakes. They played this same game a few more times, and then Jack glanced up toward the window. The sun was starting to peer over the tops of the snow-covered mountains.

"Alright, kid. That's my cue. I'd love to stay, but…"

He gazed down as he prepared to take his leave, noting that from all the baby's attempts to "catch" the snow, the lacy blanket was obscuring her tiny, perfect features. Unwittingly, Jack reached down into the crib to move the fabric aside. His hand grazed the newborn's face, and the moment he touched her, her hair began to turn a silvery white. Jack immediately retracted his hand, but it was too late. Her lily-white skin paled to a deathly shade of white, and the pink in her cheeks disappeared. Jack gasped and looked down at his hands.

"What…?" Jack began to panic. He wasn't certain about what he had just done, but the sinking feeling in his stomach was telling him that it wasn't good.

Frost began to coat the infant's hands and feet, and Jack frantically ran his fingers through his hair.

"No, no, no, no. I didn't mean to…how did I…?"

Jack hurriedly placed the blankets in the crib over the baby in an attempt to warm her up. This was to no avail, and she began to cry. His eyes darted toward the bed when he heard the Queen begin to stir, and his heart began to pound in his ears. He realized that he had to leave before he made anything worse. But how could he leave her after what he had just done? If what he thought was happening had actually happened, he had just changed this child's life forever. He hadn't meant to harm her, but he had.

"I am so, so sorry. I'll…I'll fix this. I promise you."

The windows came flying open as he burst through them, escaping into the sky. Jack had felt this kind of crushing pain once before, but he knew not from where. All he knew was that the throbbing in his heart was all too familiar. As he soared higher into the pale blue dawn and further away from Arendelle, he knew in his heart that the promise he had just made to the little princess was one he most likely could not keep.

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Thank you so much for reading, and so sorry for the wait. I'd also like to thank my fabulous editor. Please review! Feedback is always appreciated. More to come soon!

-Amanda


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